A Utah father has filed a lawsuit
seeking $130million in damages after his baby boy was given up for
adoption without his knowledge.

Jake Strickland's ex-girlfriend
Whitney Pettersson gave birth to their son Jackson in 2010 and soon
afterwards put him up for adoption. Mr Strickland claims he was not
given the chance to seek custody.

Mr Strickland, 27, says he wanted
to be fully involved in his son's life and that Miss Pettersson,
conspired with the adoptive parents' adoption agency, LDS Family
Services, operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, to give up his son.

Jake Strickland his son Jackson, born in December 2010, was
given up for adoption without his knowledge, and is now seeking
$130 million in damages

Jake Strickland prepared for the birth of his son in December
2010, showing off a stroller that was bought for the boy

Mr
Strickland and Miss Pettersson met in 2009 while working at
a restaurant. She was married but told Mr Strickland that
she was getting a divorce and they began a relationship.
Three months later, Miss Pettersson was pregnant.

Mr Strickland says he
assured her that he wanted to be involved in his son’s life
and provided emotional and financial support, even after
their own relationship began to break down.

However in early 2011, Mr
Strickland found out that Miss Pettersson had given birth to
a boy a week earlier without his knowledge.

It also emerged that she
was still legally married to another man and that under Utah
state law, he would be considered Jack's father.

The most devastating
part of the discovery however was that Miss Pettersson
had given Jack up for adoption.

Mr Strickland began a
paternity claim to get his son back but was hindered
because he had not registered for paternal rights.

Despite his attempts
to get his son back, the father learned in November 2011
that Jack had been given up for adoption.

His battle for
paternity rights is currently under review by the state.

According to
NBC: 'Strickland’s federal lawsuit is seeking $30
million for the loss of the parent-child relationship
caused by the adoption and $100 million as a deterrent
to ensure another dad doesn't suffer his fate.'

This is the third
year of Mr Strickland's fight to have his son returned
to him. Each year he and his family gather around a lone
birthday candle to sing Happy Birthday to his absent
son.

Mr Strickland's
lawsuit challenges the restrictions on a biological
father's rights in Utah.